Why are you vegan and not vegetarian?
For me, the environment and animals are the main reasons for not stopping at vegetarianism. Food-related carbon dioxide emissions are around 12% lower for vegans than vegetarians, so it’s the way to go if you want to put your best carbon footprint forward. As for animals, factory farming is part and parcel of both the dairy and egg industries, so if animal welfare is something you feel passionately about, then veganism is for you.
Do you actually like the taste of vegan food?
Absolutely. I love foods such as peanut butter, dark chocolate, hummus, falafel, roast potatoes, berries and mangos – which are all vegan. It’s actually much easier to eat vegan than I thought it would be when I made the switch two years ago.
Are there any grey areas with some vegan foods?
Honey is as tricky as it is sticky, and really divides the vegan community. On the one hand, it’s an animal product and vegans don’t eat animal products. On the other, beekeepers are actually helping bee populations – which have been dwindling in recent years – so supporting them by eating honey could be seen as a good deed for the bees. What makes things even more complicated is the fact that when beekeepers harvest the honey, they replace it with a sugar syrup that lacks the essential micronutrients of honey and isn’t as healthy for bees. Basically, it’s complicated.
Do you feel like you miss out on sweet treats such as chocolate and ice-cream?
It’s such a misconception that being vegan means you can’t have indulgent foods. Bourbon biscuits, golden syrup, boiled sweets, sorbets and dark chocolate are all vegan (to name but a few), and more and more sweet vegan treats are entering the market.
For instance, Ben & Jerry’s now has vegan versions of three of its most popular ice-creams: Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chunky Monkey and Peanut Butter & Cookies. It’s also just released a new vegan flavour: Coconutterly Caramel’d.
What’s the most challenging thing about being vegan?
I love baking, and not being able to use eggs can be pretty tricky. Baking vegan treats is getting easier, but when you’ve baked with eggs your whole life, getting used to replacements can be challenging, especially as there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Where do you get your protein?
Plenty of wholefoods pack a healthy dose of protein. Soy, pulses and nuts are just a few examples you can easily get in your daily diet. Going for Japanese food? Get a bowl of edamame and you’ll hit your daily requirement in no time. Increasingly, vegan protein supplements are really easy to access, too – brown rice protein is one of the most popular vegan proteins and is a great alternative for those avoiding soy.
Are there any health downsides?
There are a couple of vitamins and minerals you will probably want to supplement if you make the switch. The most talked about is vitamin B12. The reason this is lacking from most vegan diets comes down to the quality of soil in vegetables we eat today compared with pre-commercial farming soil. Other optional supplements can come from food. Mushrooms, for example, pack plenty of vitamin D. Flax seeds have the essential fatty acids vegans won’t be getting from fish, broccoli has biotin, while tomatoes have lycopene.
What’s eating out as a vegan like?
There’s plenty of choice in the UK. Loads of popular chain restaurants now have vegan menus or, at the very least, a couple of vegan options. When you go farther afield, especially on the continent, the meat and cheese can get a bit relentless, but there’s an excellent app that can help with that. It’s called HappyCow and it matches you with suitable eateries nearby.
Make your Veganuary extra indulgent with Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream. Get the inside scoop on the range at benjerry.co.uk/flavours/non-dairy
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